Amateurs vs. Pros

Amateurs use procrastination to hide from the angst, effort and challenge of creating something from nothing. Pros know procrastination well, having lost and won many gallant battles, and yet they continue to soldier on.

Amateurs permit distractions to steal their attention away from the art and work that is beckoning their concentration. Pros turn off, shut out and disallow any distractions to thwart the task at hand—to the point of being rude. Then they take on the inner battles of the creative process with precision and focus; whether it be a song, a screenplay or a business venture.

Amateurs believe it when the demon of doubt delivers a devastating blow to their creative abilities, and it often takes weeks or months for their fragile ego to recover. Pros confidently allow the demon of doubt to declare his forecast of doom, all the while knowing (from experience) that the shallow criticisms of the inner beast are meaningless and futile.

The big difference between Amateurs and Pros has nothing to do with talent. In fact there are far more talented amateurs waiting in the wings than there are successful pros currently working. The difference between the two is the courage and willingness to soldier on and fight the inner battles that only true artists and entrepreneurs are privileged to be charged with.